Monday, January 30, 2017

Catholic schools already committed to pluralism, says bishop

Catholic schools are already
committed to genuine pluralism and inclusion, respectful of the beliefs
of all parents and pupils, Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin Denis Nulty
has said.

In an address on Sunday for
Catholic Schools Week, he noted how in Portlaoise, Co Laois, where he
was speaking, “as in every urban parish, there are pupils attending our
Catholic schools of every creed and none, from every continent and every
social class”.

Schools under Catholic control were already committed to pluralism and inclusion “by virtue of being Catholic”, he said.

Dr Nulty was speaking ahead of an
announcement by Minister for Education Richard Bruton of a new strategy
aimed at divesting hundreds of schools from Catholic ownership.

The current approach for the
transfer of patronage – launched five years ago by former minister
Ruairí Quinn – has resulted in just 10 transfers from religious to
multidenominational patrons to date.

Mr Bruton said the new process
would would learn from the this experience by seeking “live transfers”
of schools rather than closure and the opening of a new school.

Key role

The Education and Training Boards
will also play a key role in identifying towns or areas where there is
demand from families for greater diversity.

Mr Bruton said demand for greater
diversity was evident from indicators such as opinion polls and a rise
in the number of civil marriages, which now account for one third of all
unions.

He said it was clear that there were not enough multidenominational schools to meet demand among parents.

“This new process for supporting
transfers of schools to multidenominational patrons, in response to the
wishes of local families, is based around principles of transparency and
co-operation,” he said.

“Where the need for a transfer to a
multidenominational patron is identified by surveys, the existing
landowner, in co-operation with the local school community, will decide
what multidenominational patron to transfer to,” he said.

He said the transfer would be by
way of a “live school transfer”, with existing staff remaining in place,
where this was the wish of the parties involved. In most cases the new
patron would lease the building from the landowner.

“In the main and by agreement, the school to be divested would be under the patronage of the local bishop,” he said.

“I hope that, where demand for
denominational education is proven, the ETB and the diocese can engage
constructively to reflect more diversity in school patronage which will
provide for the needs of 21st century Ireland.”

‘Dragging their feet’

There has been resistance among
some clergy to the divestment of local religious schools, which prompted
Archbishop of Dublin Diarmuid Martin last year to criticise elements of
the church for “dragging their feet” over the issue.

Emphasising of the value of
Catholic education, Dr Nulty said there were 2,880 Catholic primary
schools in Ireland and 341 Catholic post-primary schools, and that
“identity is important to all of us and parish gives us that sense of
identity”.

“Many of the Catholic schools
established all over Ireland were founded with a mission to serve and
educate the poor. Today we owe a huge gratitude to the religious of
Ireland who responded to this need, often at enormous personal cost to
the individual, to the community or to the congregation. Catholic
education must still reach out to the poorest of the poor,” he said.

Catholic Schools Week was first
introduced into the United States in 1974 and this was the ninth year of
its celebration in Ireland.

It “gives us the opportunity to celebrate
the unique contribution that both primary and post-primary schools make
to our local parish faith communities and indeed to the wider society.
This contribution is a significant one,” Bishop Nulty said.